1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to the field of the burial of human remains. More specifically, the invention is directed to an improved burial crypt for cremains designed to be placed within a standard cemetery burial plot and a method for fabrication of same.
2. Description of Prior Art
People have many options and choices of what to do with their remains and deciding on their final resting place. Direct burial has traditionally been the most common option, with the deceased being placed in a casket and the casket being buried below grade in a cemetery. Other modes of interment include placing a body in a casket within an above-ground crypt or in a wall tomb. While common, such traditional direct burials have the disadvantage of requiring substantial space for the casket. With regard to in-ground burial, there is a growing shortage of cemetery space, especially in urban areas.
An ever more common alternative to direct burial is cremation, whereby the remains of the deceased are placed in a wooden box and then burned at a high temperature, resulting in a small volume of end product known as cremains. Cremains are commonly stored in urns, though other dispositions are also practiced, such as scattering of the cremains into the environment. Burying the cremains (within an urn) in a cemetery is also an option.
The burial of cremains in a cemetery typically involves placing the urn containing the cremains into a cremation burial vault, which is a container meant to protect the urn when it is buried underground. However, cemetery burial plots for cremains typically are the same dimension as plots for direct burial of caskets. Even where smaller plots are designated for the burial of cremains, they still require a substantial amount of space for the cremation burial vaults. Such burial methods thus do not address the issue of the growing shortage of cemetery space.
It is therefore shown that there is a need for more efficient use of cemetery burial space with regard to the burial of cremains.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved burial crypt for cremains for use in cemeteries.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved burial crypt for cremains that can contain a large number of cremation urns within an environmentally sealed subterranean structure.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved burial crypt for cremains that can contain cremation urns without need for independent cremation burial vaults for said cremation urns.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved burial crypt for cremains that can be fit into a standard cemetery plot.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved burial crypt for cremains that can be easily accessed for the placement or removal of cremation urns over time.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved burial crypt for cremains that is inexpensive to manufacture.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved burial crypt for cremains that can be assembled on site.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method of fabrication of an improved burial crypt for cremains.
Other objects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the description that follows.